


His Weakness

by Azurite



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Community: yuugiouxmasfic, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-17
Updated: 2005-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-06 16:20:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8760262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azurite/pseuds/Azurite
Summary: Seto Kaiba has a weakness. But it's not what you think.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shoelace-tan](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Shoelace-tan).



Contrary to popular belief, Seto Kaiba's weakness was not Duel Monsters. It was not his little brother, and it was not being goaded by the likes of Jounouchi Katsuya. It wasn't even being defeated by Yuugi Mutou time and time again. It wasn't chocolate either, though that was close.

The truth was, the one thing that made Seto Kaiba's nose twitch, his mouth water, and his brow start to perspire was... gingerbread. He didn't know why it had such an effect on him, and everyone had to know that in order to build resistance against something, you had to completely immerse yourself in it. Well, Kaiba's attempts at resisting the thick, rich scent of gingerbread coupled with the cool, creamy blend of frosting and whipped cream didn't work.

At all.

Anyone that had been looking rather closely at Kaiba one late December afternoon as he opened his cubby at Domino High School would have noticed his eyes widen, his lips twitch, and a bead of sweat appear on his brow.

For there within his cubby was a perfect replica of his own mansion-- made completely of gingerbread cookies.

Anzu Mazaki wasn't much for challenges. Of course, she wasn't the type to back down from one when it was presented to her, but more often than not, Anzu liked to think she had better things to do with her time. Unlike her best guy friends, she wasn't much of a duelist-- her days of trouncing Jounouchi at Duel Monsters had long since passed, and Anzu hadn't updated her deck since before Battle City.

Nowadays, the only challenges Anzu had a mind for were the challenges that faced her as she moved along toward her dream: toward studying dance in New York, to getting away from Duel Monsters, Domino, and all of Japan.

Somehow, being stuck in the home economics room one crisp, winter day didn't really seem like an obstacle she really had to overcome to get to New York. And yet here she was, stuck in a stuffy, warm cooking class competing with someone that, for all intents and purposes, Anzu didn't care for in the slightest. But there was a horribly stubborn part of Anzu's personality that refused to let anything stand in her way, whether it was her lack of funds for going to New York or a stuck-up classmate who thought she had to challenge Anzu to a gingerbread-house making contest at lunch.

So while everyone else at Domino High was outside enjoying the cool weather and their boxed lunches, Anzu was inside, stomach grumbling, as she tried to make a paste out of confectioner's sugar and heavy cream.

'Why did I agree to this?' Anzu mused for the umpteenth time. Above all else, why did she agree to try and make the most complicated looking house in all of Domino-- the Kaiba mansion!? Out of gingerbread and candies, no less. Sure, all the girls in home economics thought Anzu could do it. She was the top of the class for a reason, right? And so many of the younger students believed in her to the point where it almost made Anzu sick. Had she been like that once, a long time ago?

Anzu angrily whipped her sugar-cream mixture into a thick paste, and proceeded to spoon it out into a zipper seal bag with a rubber spatula. She was messy, she was hungry, she was tired, and she was hot-- but damn it all if she was going to let some snot-nosed, younger, upstart transfer student boss HER around!

Anzu didn't show up to any of her classes after lunch, but considering she was a third year student, most teachers didn't bat an eye at it. Third years at Domino High had the privilege of taking vocational education or study hall classes whenever they needed it; since Anzu was one of the better students at Domino High, everyone always assumed she was busy doing one thing or another. Nonetheless, she wasn't much of a showoff when it came to her top grades and her high scores. Everyone knew she didn't want to remain in Japan for university, and she worked herself to the bone to fuel that dream.

No one would have expected her to be up to her elbows in sugared candies and molasses, trying to assemble a gingerbread mansion made on wobbly pieces of corrugated cardboard.

By the time the last bell had rung, Anzu was almost completely out of her mind. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were dulled, her complexion was flushed from being near the heat of the ovens for so long-- all she wanted to do was go home. She was sure she was going to faint any moment now, especially considering she'd skipped lunch and had barely had much of a breakfast to begin with.

The snot-nosed younger student who'd challenged her to this whole affair in the first place had rightly been put in her place when a panel of outsiders judged the finished gingerbread houses. The home economics teacher brought in a few other teachers --neither of which had Anzu or her competitor in their classes-- and a few boys from the clubs in school. After a long deliberation and a great deal of drooling on the boys' part, Anzu's "Kaiba Mansion" gingerbread piece was deemed as the winner.

Normally, winning anything would have filled Anzu with a great sense of pride and accomplishment, but after this whole debacle, she felt completely wasted. It was a waste of time and energy, and she didn't seem to get a lick of pride or joy after finishing it and winning. Did this mean that when she finally made it to New York, it would no longer mean anything to her? What kind of a person would she be, if she would strive so hard to achieve something, only to have it mean nothing in the end?

It was a horrible thought to consider, and as Anzu's mind was so lost in confusion, she didn't even notice whose cubby she shoved the finished piece into. She didn't care who ended up with the damn thing-- she never wanted to see it again. She never wanted to see any gingerbread cookies, or candied gummies, or peppermint canes, or anything remotely like it for the next century or more! And she certainly never wanted to see the perfect example of "modern architecture" (hah!) that the Kaiba mansion represented.

'Not likely,' Anzu reminded herself, as a sort of solace. But still. She'd had more than enough Kaiba Mansions --real and fake-- to last her a lifetime. Right now, all she wanted to do was get cleaned up and go home.

His fingers twitched hesitantly as he reached in to take the delicate piece from its resting place in his locker. Normally, Kaiba looked upon mysterious objects within his locker with a measure of disdain; they were almost always little letters of affection or admiration from some sappy girl who didn't know the first thing about him. But this... this was a piece of beauty!

How did whoever it was know that gingerbread was his favorite? His drug, even! An almost insane rush of urgency filled Kaiba's veins; whoever it was knew his one true weakness; he had to find them, and fast! But how? There was no note anywhere in his locker, nor attached to the candied confection. Whoever it was, there had to be some way to suppress their knowledge of his secret...

Kaiba cringed. It might mean making some personal sacrifices on his part, but...

He eyed the gingerbread mansion longingly. It had been so long since he'd had the opportunity to have one, and it was taking all of his willpower not to eat it that very moment. It would probably give him enough cavities to last him through all his days, but the smell was so enticing...

And the gingerbread cookie house was warm, too.

Perhaps that was a clue. It had been recently placed in his locker, no doubt about that. But there was no one in the vicinity. Short of a speedy delivery boy, there was no way such a confection --still warm!-- could have made its way into his locker from afar. And the only other possibility was...

He was tempted to run, but there was no way he could do so with the gingerbread house in hand. He hated to leave it behind; it smelled so delectable, so tempting, so enticing... But if he didn't take his chance now, whoever it was that knew his secret would get away! Worse, they would have an advantage over him, because they would know not only his weakness, but that someone knew his weakness and could tell anyone they pleased. If at least Kaiba discovered the identity of the cook, then maybe the tides would turn in his favor.

Kaiba gingerly placed the candied house back in his cubby, and he dashed off toward the home economics classroom as though the hounds of hell were after him.

Anzu had managed to trade her sugar-and-flour covered uniform for her slightly-warmer and much-cleaner winter gym uniform, comprised of a pair of sweats and a long-sleeved wool shirt that hugged close to her skin. She hardly looked the part of a girl who had big dreams for herself, but at the moment, she didn't care. All she wanted was to get her stuff, go home, get something to eat, and pass out in her bed.

She grumbled the whole way from the girls' locker rooms all the way back to the home ec class, cursing molasses and gingerbread and whoever came up with the idea of making stupid houses. She didn't care that she'd won; it was a fruitless victory, not unlike when Yuugi beat Kaiba time and time again. Everyone knew Kaiba would always come back for more, because he couldn't stand to be beaten.

Anzu decided that Kaiba's stubbornness was probably the only thing they had in common. They both had big plans and goals for themselves, and other people getting in the way could not stop them under any circumstances. No matter how silly the obstacle, it had to be overcome...

She smiled blearily to herself as the home ec classroom.

'Were those black ornaments there before?' Anzu thought to herself. No, those weren't ornaments; those black spots were her vision giving out on her. For a moment, those 'ornaments' turned a startling shade of blue, and a rather pleasant almond-shape, and then Anzu faded into unconsciousness.

Seto Kaiba was not one to play hero. In fact, if he had to classify himself as any sort of archetype (which he was loathe to do simply because he hated fitting anyone's mold or label), it would be the anti-hero. Not the villain, but certainly not the all-around good guy, who always saved everyone and had a kind word to spare to even the most troubled of souls.

That was Yuugi's job.

But since Yuugi was not around at the moment when Anzu Mazaki wobbled down the hallway cursing gingerbread --and then promptly fainted as she got within a meter of him-- Seto Kaiba had to play the part. He was a poor understudy for the role though, and had nearly let Anzu's head hit the ground before he caught her; he was far from the type who caught fainting girls on a regular basis.

Even so, this wasn't some normal fainting girl (if there even was such a thing)-- this was Anzu, and if Kaiba's gut instinct was right... then she was the one.

Anzu awoke to something that sounded like a goat chewing on a blanket. Anzu had never seen a goat in real life before, except for maybe one time at a children's petting zoo when she was much, much younger. And when she had seen that goat, it certainly hadn't been chewing on a blanket. But the distinct sound of chewing remained, even as the sound of blood rushing past Anzu's ears faded away. The throbbing of her head and the pains in her stomach didn't cease, but at least she was awake.

Anzu dared to open her eyes --first the left, then the right-- and she thought she spotted an elegant chandelier and a mop of black hair. From somewhere below the mop of black hair was that chewing noise.

'I guess there must be a head under that hair, and a mouth on that head that's chewing something to make that noise,' Anzu reasoned. She was still so sleepy, but her stomach was protesting by shooting sharp cramps up her abdomen again.

"I knew I shouldn't have taste-tested that gingerbread batter..." Anzu mumbled aloud. "Stupid eggs..."

The grumbling of Anzu's stomach echoed over the sound of the chewing, which abruptly stopped the moment Anzu had spoken. The black mop moved a little up and to the right; it was apparently looking at something beyond Anzu's field of vision. She tried to open her eyes further, perhaps sit up, but she simply didn't have the strength. It felt like something had sapped out all her energy, and now she felt like one great, big wet noodle.

"It's real tasty, Anzu!" the black mop exclaimed joyfully, and then the smack-smack-chew sound resumed with enthusiasm.

Anzu's eyes shot open. She knew that voice. She knew that black mop of hair, and she knew that chandelier (although she didn't know how she knew that last part). It felt as if she'd just swallowed a caffeine pill, for energy --or perhaps fear coupled with adrenaline-- shot through her limbs, and she sat up. The black spots from before appeared once more, but Anzu resolutely ignored them. She turned her gaze swiftly about the room, keeping her hands planted on the twin plush cushions that had pillowed her head moments before.

And that was when she saw him.

'I'd like to pass out again, please,' Anzu thought desperately. She detested being in Seto Kaiba's presence, if only because he managed to fluster her so. He wasn't like the other boys, who had such obnoxious characteristics that Anzu could ignore any 'cuteness' factor they might have possessed. That was why she was such good friends with Yuugi, Jounouchi, and Honda-- they were all boys through and through. But Kaiba... he was most definitely a man, and he radiated that self-confidence, that awareness, that...

'Think unsexy thoughts, think unsexy thoughts...'

"Delicious," Kaiba said. His voice might have almost been a monotone, were it not for the slight quirking of his lips (somehow that changed his voice from a flat baritone to a smooth, sensual innuendo)-- and that tiny flash of tongue that darted out of his mouth to lick a crumb of leftover gingerbread away. Anzu suddenly felt her heart thundering in her chest, and her brain stopped processing anything that her senses were bringing in.

Something about Kaiba + Gingerbread = Trouble, but it was an equation that just didn't add up right in Anzu's book.

"I'm gonna go get some more milk, Big Brother!" And the black mop \--Mokuba-- was off and running as Kaiba said (without taking his gaze from Anzu's dazed one) "You do that, Mokuba."

And then they were alone, and the sounds of her blood rushing in her ears and her heart thundering in her chest grew even louder.

"So, you made the gingerbread mansion," Kaiba said at last, his voice still keeping that same tone laced with promise. He'd had a feeling before, when Anzu had cursed gingerbread's very creation before passing out into his arms. But now her words confirmed it.

It was certainly a better situation than Kaiba could have hoped for. Better Anzu than some deranged underclassman fangirl that Kaiba had no mind to pay any attention to. Besides, Anzu was... attractive. He could admit that. Ever since he'd brought her into the mansion, he'd dared to think things about her that he'd never thought about any other girl (or woman, for that matter)! First off, she was Anzu. Not Mazaki, not shrimpy, whiny cheerleader. And she could cook!

She could also cook what was quite possibly Kaiba's greatest sin, his greatest pleasure, and his deepest, darkest secret.

Not to mention, she looked rather nice splayed out on his couch like that, her cheeks all flushed and her hair in disarray. And --dare he think it?-- the way she wrinkled her nose, stretched out her limbs, crinkled her lips, and stared at him like a fish out of water... well, she was rather cute. The cherry red color that her cheeks became after her stomach grumbled quite audibly was also a flattering color on her.

"I-- uh..." Anzu's eyes left his for only a minute; she glanced down at the remainders of her creation and her eyes widened. It was almost entirely gone; a mass of crumbs and cardboard covered in sticky sugar-glue all that was left of the main mansion. Kaiba was absently sucking on a candy cane that had made up part of the front gate, while Mokuba had taken it upon himself to devour all of the sour gummy trees.

"I like it," Kaiba said again. This time there was no mistaking that almost predatory look in his eyes --and oh, was she losing her depth perception or was he coming closer? "I wouldn't have expected it from you, Anzu..."

'Did he just call me "Anzu"? Not "whiny, shrimpy, cheerleader girl"? I must be dreaming...'

Anzu didn't even have the chance to pinch herself before a decidedly warm yet minty taste overwhelmed her lips, and she realized a moment later that Seto Kaiba was kissing her.

'Well,' she decided a few minutes later, 'maybe the whole gingerbread cookie house thing wasn't such a bad idea after all.'  


Ah, kind of a sappy ending for a VERY weird fic, but what else was I supposed to do for this theme? *grin* Hope you enjoyed!


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